Due Date

Bub's due date was July 20th.  Her father's birthday and her grandmother's.  She was 7weeks 6days old.  Just over 5lbs. 

On her due date the Moose went to work, but I spent the day mostly feeding and consoling a grumpy baby.  Cluster feeding.  She feeds for 15-20 minutes, falls asleep, I put her in the bassinet, she sleeps for 20 minutes (or up to an hour but not over) and then we start again.  With much screaming when there isn't a boob in her mouth.

A few things about Bubs.

She loves lights and blinds.  She loves lots of people standing around her talking to her.  She loves rides in the car.  She prefers to sleep cuddled up with me on the sofa and faking me out with false poo-y nappies, as she farts like a sailor.  She loves her Vitadol-C and iron supplement.  She enjoys baths, although she hates getting into them!!

She hates having her nappies changed, her clothes removed or put back on, her temperature taken (she used to be fine with this in the NICU but developed a hatred of it just before we left), or having to wait for anything. 

She is indifferent to the cats, who are mostly indifferent (and slightly terrified) of her.

Her timing is impeccable.  Mom is making lunch, time for a feed (even though she is an hour or two early and Mom thought she would have time for toast...damn toast addiction).  Clothes just off, nappy undone, time for a wee (or a poo cannon). 

She doesn't spit up often (she may have silent reflux, but it doesn't bother her and I see no evidence of it, so no idea), but yesterday she did a big one and it came out her nose.  Didn't bother her in the least, but it grossed me out!!

She can smile, but she prefers to frown, scowl, and sneer, which is no surprise given that her mother has an amazing natural resting bitch face.  Her unhappy screamy face is not so pretty, but every other face is gorgeous!! 

She mostly eats every 3-4 hours, but likes to throw a curve and eat every two on occasion, and cluster feed nearly hourly (talk about exhausted boobs!).  But at night she is generally good and goes nearly 4 hours, letting me get some sleep!  She mostly latches well and feeds like a champ, but occasionally becomes an angry piranha. 

Tummy time doesn't bother her too much, unless she is hungry, which if she is awake she generally is.  She can lift her head and turn it towards me, and can nearly turn over.  She did roll over the other day, but it was a fluke as she managed to use me to do it.  I don't think she could do it again just yet. 

Her hair seems to be getting lighter in colour, and her eyes as well.  Both were so dark when she was born, but now there is some auburn to her hair, and her eyes are a very dark blue-gray.  They looked almost purple the other day. 

She is still really skinny, but her cheeks are much cheekier and her jowls much jowlier.  There is more meat on her arms and legs too, but compared to other babies (the full term ones on facebook that are actually younger than she is) she is very skinny.  The theory that me eating high calorie foods might make high calorie milk looks to have been just a convenient excuse for me to eat chocolate. 

She has just started to make laughing noises.  Not because she is laughing, but they sound like laughing.  Which is strange.  She also growls and squeaks, just like Cleo.  I think her first words will be "meow".

So today she is 8weeks 3days old, but her corrected age is only 3 days.  So her development will be different from full term babies, and because she was a preemie and because of the IUGR she may have difficulties along the way, but so far she is where she should be, doing what she should do.  And she should be up for her next feed within the hour, so I am going to go make lunch.  Probably toast and a coffee, but I may throw an apple in there.